


Swaying to a Melody

by myaleclightwood



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Can't Dance, Background Luke/Jocelyn, M/M, Magnus Wants to Teach Him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 09:33:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6418198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myaleclightwood/pseuds/myaleclightwood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus finds out that Alec can't dance and that's why he's so awkward talking about dancing with his boyfriend at the wedding. Magnus reassures him that it's still possible to learn and gives it a shot. It only sort of works.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swaying to a Melody

“Okay so everyone’s clear on what’s happening?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good.” Clary grinned. “I want my mom and Luke to have the best wedding anyone’s ever seen.”

“Until Alec and Magnus get married.” Izzy smirked.

Alec sighed. “Izzy.”

“Leave it.” Magnus smiled. “She’s just acknowledging my fabulousness.”

Alec rolled his eyes, smiling fondly. “You’re an idiot.”

“And yet you adore me.” Magnus grinned back.

“Enough of that.” Jace sighed.

“You’re just jealous.” Magnus told him, waving a hand.

“I’m not. I have Clary.” Jace shot back.

“Please don’t start this pissing contest again.” Izzy complained. “Let’s just get going. We have a lot of work to do and a wedding to finish planning.”

Alec, Jace, and Simon all groaned in unison. Their respective significant others then slapped them upside the head.

“Get to work.” Izzy demanded. “Now.”

All three of them immediately jumped to do the jobs Clary allotted them.

“Men.” Magnus sighed. “So handsome and yet so annoying.”

Magnus sighed again as Alec tripped on his own feet and had to catch himself on Jace’s shoulders. “And so clumsy.”

Clary and Izzy both grinned. “Ain’t that the truth.”

 

***

 

That night Alec fell onto their bed with a groan. “I hate them both.”

Magnus smiled fondly, changing into his silk pajamas. “If you are going to make those noises lying shirtless on our bed I hope you are ready for me to take executive and possibly severe actions.”

Alec looked over at him. “Not tonight handsome. I’m beat. Especially after this afternoon.”

“The horrible thing about being busy all day.” Magnus sighed. “You don’t have time for me.”

Alec sighed, lifting his arm up. “Come here.”

Magnus grinned, clambering into bed and curling up next to Alec. Alec smiled and dropped his arm around him.

“You are very lucky I like you.” Alec told him.

“I know.” Magnus smiled. “I can’t wait to dance with you at the wedding in front of all the Clave people. I love their faces when we scandalize them with our touching.”

“Yea.” Alec bit his lip and tried not to sound too awkward. “Dancing. I can’t wait.”

Magnus could hear the little hitch in Alec’s tone but decided to ignore it in favor of rolling over and kissing the scar on Alec’s collarbone. “Shall we dance a little tonight? Just to practice?”

Alec groaned. “For an immortal with all the time in the world, you sure are insatiable.”

“I may be immortal, but you are not.” Magnus reminded him, propping himself up on his elbow to look Alec in the eye. “And I want as much of you as I can before that mortality kills the both of us.”

Alec smiled softly. “We are not having sex again. I will allow cuddling though.”

“Well thank you very much kind Shadowhunter.” Magnus smiled, respecting Alec’s choice and laying back down pressed against Alec’s side. “I always adore a good cuddle.”

Alec kissed the top of Magnus’s head. “Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for.”

“For loving me. For supporting me. For letting me be me.” Alec listed. “I have a lot to thank you for.”

Magnus smiled. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“I’m glad I get to be happy.”

 

***

 

“Isabelle, could I steal you away for one short moment?”

Izzy turned at the sound of Magnus’s voice and smiled. “Of course. Anything for family.”

Magnus smiled and blushed a little at that but led Izzy aside from all the wedding preparations. “Can I ask you something about your brother?”

“I would be honored.”

“Does Alexander know how to dance?”

Izzy immediately bit her lip. “Did he say something?”

“Well I happened to mention dancing with him at the wedding a couple of nights ago and he seemed uncomfortable with the topic.” Magnus explained. “I was just worried that it was dancing with _me_ he was concerned about.”

“Oh no.” Izzy reassured immediately. “If Alec was going to dance with anyone, it would be you.”

“But?”

“But he never learned how.” Izzy sighed. “Growing up he was groomed for diplomacy and all of that but he never got the hand of dancing. He’s graceful in battle but he’s horrible in normal life. There’s a reason he has a permanent balance rune.”

Magnus smiled fondly. “I’ve noticed that.”

Izzy smiled. “I love my brother, but he can’t dance.”

“I’m going to teach him.” Magnus declared.

“Good luck.” Izzy laughed. “We’ve tried to teach him for years and none of us have ever managed to do so.”

“I’m going to teach him.” Magnus repeated firmly. “He needs to learn how to dance.”

“Well I wish you the best of luck.”

Magnus smiled. “I will let you know of the progress.”

“I’ll be glad to hear of it.”

 

***

 

“Alexander!”

“Hey.” Alec smiled, looking tired as he walked into the apartment. “What have you been up to all day?”

“Oh you know.” Magnus drawled. “This and that. Missing you.”

Alec rolled his eyes, dropping onto the sofa next to him. “And what you mean by that is you met with clients, drank a few cocktails, and over-charged by ten percent just so you could look expensive and fancy.”

Magnus smiled. “You know me so well.”

Alec smirked, kissing him lightly. “That just comes from too much time spent around you. Anyone worth their marbles can tell that about you.”

“Hm.” Magnus hummed. “What else can they tell?”

“You’re handsome.” Alec smiled. “You’re flamboyant.” Alec continued, leaning over. “You’re confident. You’re magical.” He kept going, moving to straddle Magnus’s lap.

Magnus laughed, putting his hands on Alec’s hips. “Alexander.”

“Magnus.” Alec smiled innocently.

“We are not doing this here.”

“Then move us to the bedroom.”

“Alexander.” Magnus repeated. “We are not doing this _now_.”

Alec sighed. “Why? You obviously have something on your mind Mr. Usually-So-Insatiable-I-Can’t-Even-Sit-Down-Before-Kissing-You.”

“Do you know how to dance?”

Alec sat back. “You talked to Izzy.”

“Don’t start hating her.” Magnus said quickly. “I brought it up with her not the other way around.”

Alec didn’t respond, just rolled off Magnus’s lap and pulled a pillow into his arms instead.

“Alexander.”

“Don’t.” Alec snapped. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Magnus was quiet for a moment before getting to his feet and leaving the room. Alec just watched him go, staying silent as he came back in with a box.

“I told you about this, right?” Magnus asked, sitting back down next to him.

“The box from your Paris life.” Alec nodded. “Yea. The Runaway Queen.”

Magnus smiled. “That was merely the end of my time there. I was there for a long while before then as well. And in that time I met a lovely woman called Eloise.”

“You’ve never mentioned her before.”

“We weren’t lovers, sugar.” Magnus assured him. “Merely friends.”

“Why are telling me about her now?”

“Because she was the one who taught me how to dance.”

Alec looked at him. “What?”

Magnus smiled. “Dancing is natural to no one. We all learn from someone. She was my teacher, and a very good one at that.” Magnus opened the box and looked through it for a moment before pulling out a photo and handing it to Alec. “This was Eloise.”

“She was gorgeous.” Alec commented, taking the picture.

“That she was.” Magnus smiled sadly. “She was killed in a riot not long after that was taken. But she left a mark that will never be forgotten.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to say that every time I tell you about someone I lost.” Magnus told him. “Time heals a lot of wounds. And happy memories become things you hold near and dear.”

“What does this have to do with my inability to dance?” Alec asked.

“I wanted to show you that anyone can learn how to dance. Even you. I learned.”

“You learn everything Magnus. You have decades to perfect something.”

“Not with this I didn’t.” Magnus told him. “Eloise hated me when we met. She thought I was hopeless.”

“I doubt that.”

“Here.” Magnus offered, holding out a letter. “That’s from her, telling me to never set foot in her studio again after I nearly broke her foot trying to dance.”

Alec laughed. “Really?”

Magnus nodded. “She hated me so much after that. It took weeks of begging and pleading for her to keep teaching me.”

“You must have been awful.”

“The worst.” Magnus laughed. “I was never very good at the arts. Dancing was the only thing I ever managed to figure out. And it’s because of her. Eloise made me a dancer. And I’d like you to at least let me try to make you into one as well. Please.”

Alec sighed, looking up at him. “Okay. You can try. But no promises about breaking your feet. I really am awful.”

“You cannot be that bad.” Magnus replied.

Alec snorted. “You haven’t seen me dance yet.”

 

***

 

“I take back everything I said.” Magnus declared, rubbing his feet.

Alec just groaned, face down on the bed.

Magnus sighed, reaching out to rub Alec’s back. “You weren’t that bad, sugar.”

“Magnus, I _broke_ your _foot_.” Alec reminded him, turning his head to look at him. “I am the worst dance partner ever but now at least we all know it so I don’t embarrass you at the wedding.”

“You would never embarrass me.” Magnus reassured him.

Alec just looked at him, eyebrow raised.

“Okay maybe a little if we did that at the wedding.” Magnus admitted.

Alec groaned, putting his face back in the pillow.

“But!” Magnus exclaimed quickly, grabbing Alec’s hand and squeezing it tightly. “I would never let you do that in front of your sister. I promise.”

Alec turned his head again to look at Magnus. “I don’t know how you’re going to stop it from happening if we try to dance there.”

“I am going to teach you how to dance.” Magnus told him. “Not anything complex, not even a waltz. Even you can do this one.”

“What?”

“Come here.” Magnus smiled.

Alec groaned.

“Stop groaning you little brat and come here.” Magnus demanded.

Alec sighed but sat up and took Magnus’s hand. “What are we doing Magnus?”

Magnus smiled and flicked a hand, soft music flowing through the bedroom as the record player started. “Come here.”

Alec let Magnus guide him to his feet and then allowed Magnus to grab hold of his other hand as well.

“This is very easy.” Magnus assured him.

Alec rolled his eyes.

“No sarcasm.” Magnus scolded him. “Here.” He said, putting Alec’s arms around him and then sliding his own arms around Alec’s waist. “See?”

“We aren’t dancing Magnus.” Alec pointed out, his voice soft.

Magnus smiled. “Follow my lead sugar.”

Alec was about to say something else but closed his mouth again as Magnus started pushing Alec’s waist, forcing Alec’s body to sway in tandem with Magnus’s.

“See?” Magnus whispered, leaning forward to rest his head against Alec’s chest. “Dancing.”

“This isn’t dancing.” Alec told him. “This is swaying to a melody.”

“That’s really all dancing is.” Magnus smiled. “Fancy swaying. You can do this. You can dance.”

Alec rolled his eyes but sighed and relaxed into Magnus’s hold, sliding his hands down Magnus’s back to hold his boyfriend closer. “I’m sorry.” Alec whispered.

Magnus smiled. “Don’t be, sugar. I will love you even if all we can ever do is sway to a melody.”

Alec smiled, putting a cheek to Magnus’s hair. “I’m glad. Because I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do the fancy swaying to a melody.”

“I suppose I can overlook that.”

 

***

 

“Look at them.” Izzy grinned.

“Disgusting.” Jace nodded.

Izzy slapped him. “Adorable.” She corrected. “I never thought I’d see Alec this happy.”

Jace looked up from his plate to glance across the tent to where Alec and Magnus were standing, pressed together. “They aren’t even dancing. They’re just…swaying.”

Izzy shrugged. “Magnus only had a week, I’m surprised he got that much accomplished.”

Jace smiled. “I will say one thing for that warlock, he makes Alec happy. And that’s enough for me.”

Izzy grinned. “Give it up Jace. You love your brother in-law.”

“He’s alright.” Jace shrugged. “But Alec still can’t dance.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come hang out with me on [tumblr](http://mymalecshinesbright.tumblr.com/)


End file.
